Thursday, February 7, 2008

Check the video out, right near the beginning. Look how hard he tried to make that applause line look accidental. What a tool.

It's not that other politicians are particularly genuine. (Although this may actually be the least awkward encounter I've ever seen between a white Republican and black people.) In fact, that's kind of the point. If you look artificial and overscripted next to them, you're either C3PO or Mitt Romney. (Also, C3PO is more of a Log Cabin Republican than Romney.)

Really, though; can you think of anybody more emblematic of what's wrong with the politics of this country than Mitt Romney? How seriously can you take a guy who goes -- in a very few months -- from being one of the most liberal public faces of the GOP to the far-right's last hope of derailing a McCain candidacy? Can a politician who shifts his stance on so much so frequently (and with such blatant pragmatism) really care enough about the issues that we face to do something about them?

I have mixed feelings about Mitt's loss. On a basic emotional level, I'm viciously pleased. I will freely admit to disliking him and everything he represents. So much so that I can't help but glory a little in what may be the end of his political career. Even a few levels above that, I think that my distaste for him is rooted strongly enough in fact to mean that his misfortune is good for the country.

On the other hand, I think that he was viscerally slimy enough to have keep a lot of moderate Republicans at home in November. Even if the Democratic party is dumb enough to nominate Hillary Clinton, they could have gone into the general election liking their chances in a Romney/Clinton matchup. Not so with McCain/Clinton. Clinton certainly has it in her to lose that one. So Mitt's loss might be bad for the country, in the long run, if it ends up saddling us with four more years of Republican presidency.

Of course, you can take this too far. (E.g., "Maybe Mitt losing is actually good, because; frightened of a Clinton/McCain matchup, Democrats will go for Obama!")

Either way, I can't help but be a little pleased. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Mitt.